SPEAKING OPPS

Since 2003, I have flown around the world over 20 times, exploring some of the greatest mysteries on our planet. I have visited the sacred headwaters of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia on the trail of the Ark of the Covenant and descended into Nazi crypts in Germany in search of the Holy Grail. I have collected extremophiles from the walls of caves hidden deep below the surface of the Earth and witnessed secret mummification rituals in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. From the Amazon to the Arctic to the Alps, I’ve witnessed some of the most amazing things and, as a result, I have a unique perspective that I’d love to share with your group or organization.

In addition to my work as an award-winning television host and executive producer (3 years for History Channel, 2 years for Discovery Channel), my 20 years of experience in the wilderness education industry give me the unusual ability to apply the skills of wilderness survival to the skills of business survival. At the end of the day, after all, it’s all about surviving and thriving and knowing how to perform at your best.

If you are looking for a dynamic, engaging, relevant, and at times humorous keynote address about any number of topics (exploration, education, conservation, eco-philosophy, adventure travel), I’m excited to work with you! All of my talks are fully-tailored to your needs and desires, with full audio-visual support including some of the best photographs from my journeys to date.

Some recent talks I’ve given have included:

• Surviving vs Thriving: Making Yourself and Your Business Better
• Great Explorers: What Makes Them Great
• The Secret to Truly Living: Be Adventurous, Be Passionate, Be Present
• Global Heritage: The Urgent Need for Conservation
• Going Green: Sustainability vs Profitability

To begin a discussion on what it is you’re looking for and how I might assist, please contact Peter Jacobs at Creative Artists Agency. I look forward to hearing from you!

EXPRESS Clothing’s APEX Conference – Keynote address (May 2009)

45-minute closing presentation to 180 “rising stars” of EXPRESS Clothing — high-performing managers and salespeople at their annual APEX leadership conference. This address incorporated my expertise as a wilderness survival instructor to discuss three specific areas: 1. What It Takes to Survive 2. How to Move from Surviving to Thriving 3. How to Maintain Balance and Success, in both business and one’s personal life. Address included survival facts & figures, anecdotes from my time on the trail, photos and video clips, and interactive Q&A.

Cornell University, Psychology 101 – Class Lecture (October 2008)

45-minute presentation to 1600 students in Psychology 101 class, Bailey Hall, Cornell University (the largest class in the US). In the Fall of 1990, I was a student in this class, studying Psychology as my major. 18 years later, Professor James B. Maas invited me to return to Cornell to discuss the choices I’d made and challenges I’d faced in my career from Cornell student to wilderness guide to television host. Ultimately, I encouraged the students to follow their passion in life. The money will always follow.

AdAge Green Conference — Keynote address (June 2007)

20-minute keynote presentation to inform a group of 500 advertising and marketing executives of the big environmental issues facing the US and the world today. I highlighted three specific areas — climate change, species conservation and water quality — as well as the urgent need to make consumers care more about the planet. Unlike other presentations within the green movement, this one discussed my belief that people need to understand the importance of discipline and sacrifice as we curb our consumer culture and bring our society to operate within sustainable limits. The Green Movement holds promise, but it can’t continue to paint a picture that a sustainable model will always be easy and attractive.

Indian Creek Spring Event Fundraiser — Keynote Address (March 2007)

Annual lecture event in Souderton, Pennsylvania to raise money for the Indian Creek Foundation. Close to 600 people bought tickets, generating over $10,000 for the not-for-profit. My talk began with two of the words carved into the Temple of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi: “Know Thyself.”  I discussed the importance of knowing oneself, especially one’s passions. From there, I discussed determining one’s life path, creating prosperity and the progression from ignorance to awareness, competency to mastery.

World Presidents' Organization (WPO) - Dinner Lecture (October 2009)

Delivered 45-minute presentation on exploration, travel, and my life story (to date) to 70 members of the NY Chapter of WPO, the World Presidents’ Organization. The entire talk was supported by a Keynote presentation of slides and pictures from around the world. We finished with a 15-minute Q&A and then a seated dinner in the Clark Room of The Explorers Club in NYC.